09/03/2014
Institute Set to Expand Focus on Safety, Training & Outreach
[photo – NAHAD Standards Committee members were treated to a cruise in Annapolis harbor to watch the Wednesday Evening Sailboat Races. Pictured are (l to r) Jim Reilly, Rob Huber, Ron Svoboda, Debbie Mitchell, Bill Guarnieri, Scott Dickson, Titus Jumper, Ernie Pitchford, Amy Parrish, Kristin Thompson and Michelle Measel. Not pictured: Alex McGill, Kelly Kinney & Terry Weiner]
Members of NAHAD’s Hose Safety Institute Standards Committee met on August 20 – 21 in Annapolis, MD to review the Institute’s key projects and initiatives, and to craft recommendations for presentation to the association’s mid-year Board of Directors meeting in September.
In addition to finalizing the five new exams for the recently updated Hose Assembly Fabrication Guides (set to roll out this fall) the committee also addressed the following items:
1) Institute Advisory Council – Comprised of key end-users representing markets where hose safety is a concern, the Council has several active, or soon-to-be-formed task groups. Institute members are encouraged to join these task groups:
- Hydroblast Hose – the new White Paper as completed earlier this year and is available on the Institute web site,
- Vacuum Hose applications, including tank truck issues,
- Best Practices for oil/shale fracking applications,
- Hose Assembly Identification, including date stamping, tracking systems and age of hose ID,
- Hose Service Life, including temperature impact,
- Bio Pharm & Hi-Purity Hose applications.
2) Marketing the Value of the Institute to NAHAD Members and to End-Users – the Committee is pursuing various options to communicate the importance of hose safety in the marketplace and to encourage NAHAD members to become active Institute members. Under consideration:
- Development of an Institute Members Mobile App, designed to conveniently deliver useful access to the Institute Handbook, Fabrication Guides, Glossary and other benefits, and to serve as a unique marketing and communications tool for members when meeting with customers,
- Retaining a PR firm to help craft compelling messages to end-users, focusing on safety issues,
- Develop video content to embed into the newly updated online Fabrication Guides,
- Participation in selected safety industry trade shows,
- Encourage major hose-consuming companies to mandate compliance with the Hose Assembly Guidelines within their purchasing specs.
3) Institute Training Services – expanded training opportunities would focus on serving in-house employee training for Institute Member firms, as well as training services for end-users and/or Members’ customers. Options include:
- Hose Safety Institute University, offering regional workshops or seminars addressing the content in the Handbook and the Fabrication Guides,
- Manufacturer-hosted training events,
- Training aimed at end-user safety directors,
- Video content to deliver training online.
The Committee’s recommendations will be reviewed by the NAHAD Board in late September. Further information about the Hose Safety Institute projects will be included in upcoming issues of the NAHAD News and Hoseconnections.